AN INTERESTING TALK ON FRENCH ANIMOSITY

There will be an interesting talk given at the Heritage Foundation in D.C. on Thursday 14th. The advance summary below:

In a provocative and well-researched assessment, John J. Miller and Mark Molesky debunk the myth of friendship between France and America and chronicle the rivalries and betrayals that have marked relations between the two countries over the course of history. Returning to America's earliest history, the authors relate the little-known story of the Deerfield Massacre of 1704, when a group of French and Indians massacred settlers in northern Massachusetts. They show that the French came to America's aid only at the end of the Revolution and then with the interest of harming the British; and during the Civil War, they supported the Confederacy. In the 20th Century, French demands at the Versailles Peace Conference paved the way for the rise of fascism in Germany and eventually required America to rescue France during World War II. The postwar period was also rife with disastrous actions, including Charles de Gaulle's decision to pull out of NATO and his obstruction of American efforts to turn back Soviet expansion. French imperialism also left troubling legacies in Vietnam, Cambodia and even Syria and Iraq as well.

Enquiries: (202) 675-1752

More on French wisdom:

Derrida: "One of France's best-known philosophers, Jacques Derrida, revered as the founder of the deconstructionist school, has died at the age of 74, his entourage said on Saturday. Derrida, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, died in a Paris hospital on Friday night. Except for de mortius nihil nisi bonum, I would be inclined to say: "Good riddance to bad rubbish". For a short blast on postmodernist "ideas" (if you can call them that) generally see here. "Currency Lad" has a few thoughts on Derrida and the failed Australian Left at the end of his post here. Philosopher Keith Burgess-Jackson has a brief note about Derrida too. And Chirac manages to make a laughing-stock of France over Derrida: ""With him, France has given the world one of its greatest contemporary philosophers, one of the major figures of intellectual life of our time," Chirac said in a statement"

More French corruption: "Maier's satiric book, which denounces corporate culture as rigid, empty-headed, avaricious and ruthless, has zoomed to the top of the bestseller lists here, selling more than 120,000 copies at last count. In urging office workers to smile and look busy while sabotaging the system from within, she has ignited a national debate about the French work ethic - or lack thereof. "What you do ultimately means nothing and you could be replaced tomorrow by the first passing cretin," Maier writes. "So work as little as possible, and spend some time (but not too much) on 'marketing yourself' and 'building yourself a network' so you will have support and be untouchable (and untouched) in case of a restructuring".... less than one-third of the French population between 15 and 24 holds jobs - in contrast to 62% of young Americans.... France ranked eighth in a survey of job satisfaction in the 10-richest nations"

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ELSEWHERE

To make sure it remains available, I have just put up here a copy of the John Stossell program summary that was "censored" by ABC. Stossel points out the vast costs inflicted on all Americans by trial lawyers like John Edwards. One of those guys actually made a billion dollars by suing people! I have also put up there the internal ABC memo that says staff must favour John Kerry in what they broadcast.

It looks like John Howard's victory is going to be very good for sales of Australian wine in America. Australian wine is better than that French s**t anyway. Australian wine is all produced by modern methods. A lot of French wine production is still in the Dark Ages.

Unfair? I'm betting this will be a lot fairer than Michael Moore: "A US television company is planning to run a film attacking Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry just days before the election. Sinclair TV Group's programmes reach almost a quarter of US homes. The 45-minute film criticises John Kerry's opposition to the Vietnam war in the early 1970s. In the documentary, Stolen Honor, Wounds That Never Heal, former prisoners-of-war say that Mr Kerry's claims that American soldiers were committing atrocities led to their captors treating them more harshly, and extended the length of the conflict. ... The decision to air the documentary on the 62 stations that Sinclair either owns or supplies programmes for has been criticised not only by the Kerry campaign but also by media analysts, who say showing the one-sided film so close to the election is unfair."

A step towards immigration control? "Following a recommendation of the Sept. 11 commission, the House and Senate are moving toward setting rules for the states that would standardize the documentation required to obtain a driver's license, and the data the license would have to contain".

I have commented previously on the inanities of that learned dunce, Niall Ferguson. This latest example of his wisdom now rather stands out in the light of John Howard's big triumph in the Australian Federal elections: "The leaders of the countries that stood aside when Saddam Hussein was overthrown have one obvious reason for staying on the sidelines. They have no desire to pay the domestic political price currently being paid by the leaders of the countries that gave President Bush their support". I think a lot of politicians would LIKE to pay the sort of "price" John Howard has paid for his support of America.

David Brooks: "The report by Charles Duelfer makes it clear that Saddam Hussein was an insatiable tyrant and needed to be deposed".

Leftist hackers appear to have trashed the website of the BNP -- Britain's anti-immigration party -- and the mainstream press have buried the story.

Wayne Lusvardi has just done a big comparison between John Kerry and a member of the Viet Cong.

For more postings, see EDUCATION WATCH, GREENIE WATCH, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, GUN WATCH and SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. Mirror sites here, here, here, here and here

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That power only, not principles, is what matters to Leftists is perfectly shown by the Kerry campaign. They have put up a man whose policies seem to be 99% the same as George Bush's even though they have previously disagreed violently with those policies. "Whatever it takes" is their rule.

Leftism is for most Leftists a desire to sound good rather than a desire to do good

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